Is Purdy the first rookie to win a Super Bowl?
Brock Purdy, rookie quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, has gone from being “Mr. Irrelevant” to becoming an undefeated starter.
He has already etched his name in the NFL record books for several reasons, including being the lowest drafted quarterback in history to start and win a playoff game.
Now, he is one win away from reaching heights no other rookie quarterback has ever reached: the Super Bowl.
His next test is against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles (5:30 p.m. CST Sunday) for the NFC title.
At 24, the Philadelphia passer is barely older than Purdy, 23, but youth is what’s in short supply at this point in the playoffs.
With the average age of Purdy, Hurts, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes at 25.3, this is the youngest group of starting quarterbacks for a Championship Round, according to Elias Sports Bureau data.
Hurts and Purdy’s combined age of 47 with 208 days on game day will be the youngest for a pair of starting quarterbacks in Conference Championship Game history.
Mark Sanchez, New York Jets, 2009
Did Sanchez, the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, throw more interceptions (20) than touchdowns (12) in his rookie season?
Yes.
Did he help the Jets win their first playoff game in five years?
Also.
As a visitor in the Wild Card Round, Sanchez completed 12 of 15 attempts for 182 yards with a passer rating of 139.4 in his playoff debut against the Cincinnati Bengals.
After defeating the San Diego Chargers 17-14, Sanchez and the Jets earned their first appearance in the AFC Championship Game since 1998. They built an 11-point lead in the first half, but ultimately succumbed to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens, 2008
Flacco broke 20 school records in two seasons with the Delaware Blue Hens before being selected 18th overall in the draft, and it didn’t take long for him to make his mark at the professional level.
Flacco received the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award and helped the Ravens reach the Wild Card Round, where they beat the Miami Dolphins 27-9 for their first playoff win since January 2002. Baltimore defeated the Tennessee Titans 16-13 in the next round and fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 23-14 in the Conference Championship game.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, 2004
Roethlisberger went undefeated in 13 regular-season games as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback, earning him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but his streak was quickly put to the test in the postseason.
Roethlisberger earned a win in his playoff debut despite throwing two second-half interceptions against the New York Jets, one for a touchdown and one with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time.
Pittsburgh’s streak of 15 consecutive wins came to an end against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. Roethlisberger threw three interceptions and the Patriots qualified for their third Super Bowl in four years.
Shaun King, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1999
King, a fourth-round draft pick, entered his first game in Week 12 after Trent Dilfer suffered a broken collarbone. He won four of his five starts at the end of the regular season, including a Week 17 showdown against the Chicago Bears that defined the NFC Central title.
The Bucs overcame a 13-0 deficit to beat Washington 14-13 in the Divisional Round. Despite holding the “Greatest Show on Turf” at bay for most of the NFC Championship Game, King and company succumbed to the eventual Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams 11-6.
